-- April 16, 1927: Born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Germany, youngest of three children to Joseph and Maria Ratzinger.
-- 1943-1945: Assistant in Germany's anti-aircraft defense and infantry soldier; imprisoned in 1945 in American POW camp in Neu-Ulm.
-- June 29, 1951: Ordained along with brother Georg Ratzinger in Freising.
-- 1969-1977: Professor at University of Regensburg.
-- March 25, 1977: Named archbishop of Munich and Freising.
-- June 27, 1977: Made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI.
-- Nov. 25, 1981: Named prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II; takes up post in March 1982.
-- April 2, 2005: Pope John Paul II dies.
-- April 8, 2005: As dean of the College of Cardinals, Ratzinger presides over John Paul's funeral.
-- April 19, 2005: Elected 265th pope in one of the fastest conclaves in history. Choosing name Benedict XVI, he says he is merely a "simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord."
-- April 24, 2005: Installed as pope with Mass.
-- Aug. 18-21, 2005: First foreign trip, to World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany.
-- Sept. 24, 2005: Meets with dissident theologian Hans Kung at papal summer residence.
-- Dec. 25, 2005: First encyclical "God is Love" signed. Released Jan. 25, 2006.
-- May 28, 2006: During trip to Poland, visits Auschwitz concentration camp.
-- Sept. 12, 2006: During visit to Germany, delivers speech at University of Regensburg that enrages Muslims; quoting a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."
-- April 16, 2007: First volume of "Jesus of Nazareth" completed on his 80th birthday. Released April 13.
-- May 27, 2007: Signs letter to China's Catholics, urging them to unite under his authority. Published June 30.
-- July 7, 2007: Removes restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass in major gesture to traditional Catholics.
-- April 20, 2008: During visit to United States, prays for victims of Sept. 11, 2001 attacks at ground zero.
-- July 19, 2008: During visit to Australia for World Youth Day, meets with victims of priestly sex abuse and during a Mass apologizes for their suffering.
-- Jan. 21, 2009: Lifts excommunication of Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson and three other ultra-traditionalist bishops of Society of St. Pius X, igniting outrage. Decree released Jan. 24.
-- March 10, 2009: Acknowledges Vatican mistakes in Williamson affair, says Vatican must make better use of Internet to prevent future controversies. Letter released March 12.
-- March 17, 2009: En route to Cameroon, tells reporters aboard papal plane that condoms are not the solution to AIDS and can make problem worse, prompting widespread criticism.
-- May 11, 2009: During visit to the Holy Land, lays wreath at Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem, says Holocaust victims "lost their lives but they will never lose their names."
-- June 29, 2009: Third encyclical "Charity in Truth" signed. Released July 7, 2009.
-- July 17, 2009: Breaks right wrist in late-night fall at summer vacation home.
-- Oct. 20, 2009: Vatican announces pope is making it easier for Anglicans to convert en masse to Catholicism.
-- March 19, 2010: Rebukes Irish bishops for "grave errors of judgment" in handling clerical sex abuse but makes no mention of Vatican responsibility in letter to Irish faithful. Released March 20.
-- May 1, 2010: Orders major overhaul of Legion of Christ after Vatican investigation determines founder was a fraud.
-- Sept. 16-19, 2010: During first state visit by a pope to Britain, meets with Queen Elizabeth II, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and beatifies Anglican convert John Henry Newman.
-- Nov. 20, 2010: Revises controversial condom-AIDS comments in book and says male prostitutes who use condoms may be taking a first step toward a more responsible sexuality.
-- March 2, 2011: Issues sweeping exoneration of Jews for the death of Christ in "Jesus of Nazareth-Part II." Book released March 10.
-- May 1, 2011: Beatifies John Paul II before 1.5 million people.
-- June 28, 2011: Tweets for the first time, announcing launch of Vatican news information portal.
--Oct. 6, 2012 -- Pope's former butler is convicted on charges he stole the pontiff's private letters and leaked them to a journalist.
-- Feb. 11, 2013: Reveals in Latin that he is stepping down Feb. 28 during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, surprising even his closest collaborators.
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